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1. Admin

2. Review

3. Key Themes • The US Navy as an Instrument of Foreign Policy • Interaction with Congress • Interservice Relations • Technology • Leaders • Strategy and Tactics • US Naval Doctrine over Time • The Future

4. Sea Power and Maritime Affairs Lesson 1: The American Revolution1775-1783

5. Learning Objectives • Comprehend the American Revolution in the context of European politics and the regeneration of the struggle between Great Britain and France. • Know and be able to identify the causes of the American Revolution. • Comprehend the uses of sea power by the Americans, British and French.

6. Learning Objectives • Know the course of the war and representative campaigns. • Comprehend the relationship of military and naval policy, diplomacy, and strategy as demonstrated during the war.

7. European Political Context • Results of the Seven Year’s War • The Peace of Paris, 1763, was a “truce”, in effect, not a peace. • Britain (sea power) and France (land power) potential enemies • Rivalry for Empire: N. America, W. Indies, Indian Ocean • Britain wants colonials to: • Pay costs of Seven Years’ War- British finances seriously depleted • Garrison soldiers • Proclamation of 1763 • Oppressive acts • Resulting American Revolution becomes a renewed Anglo-French War

9. State of Major Power Navies • Great Britain • Permanent Fighting Instructions – • Rigidly defined tactics • Limits ability of Admirals to concentrate fleet’s firepower. • France • Seven Year’s War decimates France’s Navy • Navy is rebuilt in conjunction with Spain.

10. Two Doctrines • Guerre de course: commerce raiding • predominant in 19th century • Guerre d’escadre: squadron, i.e. naval warfare in line formations • predominant in 20th century • Since the American Revolution both traditions have competed with one another in American doctrinal thought

11. Advantages of Being a Colony • Protection • Ready market for goods • Benefit of imperial trade.

12. Disadvantages of Being a Colony • All trade supported Britain • No trade outside of empire. • British set who colonies traded with • Different national interests • Americans would trade with anyone • No voice in policy • No say in Parliament

13. The Beligerants: • Great Britain • Advantages • Large economy based on world empire • Well established government • Professional Army • Royal Navy is most powerful Navy in the world • Disadvantages • Long Lines of Communication • Fighting on “Foreign” Soil • Many hostile nation in Europe • Unfamiliar with guerrilla warfare and skirmishing • Not enough manpower to occupy the entire 13 Colonies

14. The Beligerants: • American Colonies • Advantages • Fighting on “Home Turf” • Ready market of raw resources • No specific center of gravity • Lots of territory • Disadvantages • Weak central government: Continental Congress • Economy designed to support Britain in mercantilist system • Disunity - Loyalists or Tories make up one third of population

15. Naval Strategies • British • Command of the Sea • Blockade American ports. • Transport troops to areas of rebellion. • Hudson River Valley • Cut off New England from middle and southern colonies. • American • War of Attrition • Wear down British forces. • Diplomacy • Gain European allies with large navies - France. • Commerce Raiding • Privateering

17. Continental Navy • Starting from Scratch • Never more than an inferior naval power. • Unable to build enough ships to challenge British command of the sea. • Had to rely on French Navy for command of the sea. • Commerce Raiding against British shipping. • Effectiveness improved after French Navy forced Royal Navy to concentrate their ships into fleets.

18. Going It Alone 1775 to 1778

19. The Need for an American Navy • British control of sea lines of communication. • Americans unable to oppose British troop movements. • British blockades of American ports restricts commerce. • States authorize navies: • Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Massachusetts. • Privateering commences against British shipping and commerce. • Definition of Privateering: Privately-owned vessels sanctioned by a government to seize enemy ships. • Washington’s Navy • Seizure of gunpowder on British supply ships enroute to Boston. • Ships commanded by Army officers with maritime experience.

20. Continental Navy and Marine Corps • Authorized by the Continental Congress. 13 October 1775 - Navy Birthday • Continental Congress approves purchase of two armed vessels. 10 November 1775 - Marine Corps Birthday • Continental Congress authorizes two battalions of Marines. • Samuel Nicholas - “First Commandant” of the Marine Corps • Tun Tavern, Philadelphia 28 November 1775 - Rules for the Regulation of the Navy of the United Colonies established. December 1775 - Marine Committee appointed by Continental Congress to oversee naval affairs. • Authorizes construction of 13 frigates. • Debate continues over the need for naval forces: Samuel Chase of Maryland: “Maddest idea in the world.”

21. Early Military Operations • American Siege of Boston (p.6) • April 1775 – March 1776 • George Washington commands America’s Continental Army. • Battle of Bunker Hill • Royal Navy evacuates British forces to Halifax in 1776. • American Invasion of Canada • 1775 • Ethan Allen takes Fort Ticonderoga on Lake Champlain. • Siege of Quebec fails. • General Benedict Arnold retreats to Lake Champlain - 1776. • Small fleet of shallow-draft vessels built to stop British counter-attack.

23. American Raid on the Bahamas (p.8) Jan 1776 • Esek Hopkins • Commander in Chief of the Fleet - converted merchantmen. • Eventually dismissed in 1777. • Ordered to break British blockade of the Virginia coast. • Discretionary clause in orders allows Hopkins to change plans. • Raid on New Providence Island, Bahamas - March 1776 • Storage area for British supplies of gunpowder and cannon. • Sailors and Marines under Samuel Nicholas capture supplies and transport back to colonies.

24. General Washington1776 • Defense of New York from British invasion. • Aug 1776 • Prevent British from dividing the colonies. • Continental Army defeated and forced to retreat toward Philadelphia. • Washington crosses the Delaware. • Christmas 1776 • Trenton • Princeton • Continental Army remains a threat to the British.

25. Battle of Valcour Island (p.10) • British counter-attack across Lake Champlain to reach New York. • British required to construct a fleet to counter Benedict Arnold’s fleet and secure lines of communication on the lake. • Benedict Arnold loses all 15 of his ships. • Tactical — Failure • Battle delays British invasion - forces their withdrawal to Canada for winter months. • Strategic — Victory

26. A GALLEY OF ARNOLD’S AT VALCOUR ISLAND

27. Battle of SaratogaOct 1777 • Classic case of bad coordination and miscommunication: • GEN Burgoyne (Canada) • Launch 2 pronged attack to cut off and Isolate New England • GEN Howe (New York) • Decides to Attack Philadelphia first • Lord Germain (London) • Sec of Sate for the American Colonies • Americans defeat and capture General “Gentleman Johnny” Burgoyne in upstate New York. • Washington escapes with his army intact from Philly

29. Strategic Implications • Turning point of the war. • French enter the war as America’s ally. • French Navy: 80 ships of the line. • Small American rebellion grows into a world war. • Great Britain faces multiple enemies: • 1775 American Colonies • 1778 France, Spain, The Netherlands • 1780 Russia, Denmark, Sweden, Prussia, Austria, and Portugal form an Armed Neutrality.

30. A French Ally and a Global War 1778-1783

31. War Shifts South • British fighting multiple enemies all over the Atlantic • Southern Colonies seen as easier picking • Determines West Indies are more valuable than American colonies

32. Fleet Actions • “General Chase” melee tactics used unsuccessfully by Royal Navy against the French. • Battle of Ushant • Battle of Grenada • Moonlight Battle off Cape St Vincent • New view of some British admirals: • No need to strictly adhere to the formal tactics found in the Permanent Fighting Instructions. • Admirals now allowed more freedom of action. • Admiral Rodney develops copper sheathing to prevent fouling of ships’ hulls.

33. Commerce Raiding • Capture enemy shipping using Navy ships or Privateers. • Privateering very profitable - easy to find sailors. • Difficult to man Continental Navy ships. • GustavusConyngham - Irish American • Captured 60 British vessels in 18 months. • Successfully dug way out of prison on 3rd attempt after capture in 1779. • Lambert Wickes and Reprisal • 1st American ship in European Waters (1777) captures 23 ships. • Transports Benjamin Franklin to France. • John Paul Jones • Receives first salute to an American ship from French Navy. • Ben Franklin uses his influence to get him a better ship.

34. John Paul Jones “Men mean more than guns in the rating of a ship.” “I wish to have no Connection with any Ship that does not sail fast for I intend to go in harm’s way.” - 16 November 1778

36. Battle of Flamborough Head (p.15) 4 Sept 1778 • Bonhomme Richard vs. HMS Serapis • Result: • Cool Quotes: • John Paul Jones: “I have not yet begun tofight.” • Takes the battle to English water and English soil • Great propaganda for the Americans

38. Yorktown Campaign (p.18)August-October1781 • Initially poor cooperation between Continental Army and French Navy. • General Washington - need a combined operation for victory. • 1781 Lord Cornwallis leads British Army to Yorktown. • Washington marches south with Continental and French troops. • French West Indies fleet sails north under de Grasse. • British fleet under Graves: Reinforce or evacuate Cornwallis. • de Grasse anchors inside the Chesapeake then sorties and defeats British fleet. • Hood rigidly adheres to Permanent Fighting Instructions. • Lord Cornwallis forced to surrender forces at Yorktown. • Defeat at Yorktown causes the fall of the government in London thus effectively ending the war

39. Comte de Grasse

42. Conclusion of the War • Combined French/Spanish attack on Gibraltar defeated in 1782. • French and British fleets battle for control of India. • Treaty of Paris - 1783 • Independence of American colonies. • France restores most of Great Britain’s West Indian colonies.

43. British Naval Policy • Superiority over Continental Navy. • Royal Navy used to transport Army troops in America. • Blockade of American ports established. • Challenged by French Navy after 1778. • Improvements in gunnery made after defeat at the Battle of the Virginia Capes. • Permanent Fighting Instructions finally abandoned. • New system of signals allows more freedom for admirals to maneuver fleet to concentrate firepower. • Change in tactics from Formal to Melee. • Maintained naval power at the end of the war.

44. Colonial Naval Policy • Sectionalism • Continental Navy • State Navies • Privateers • Commerce Raiders • Fleet Actions • French Contribution

45. Thoughts: • How does $$ impact strategy and tactics? • What actually ended the American revolution: • Political fatigue in Britain? • American military victories? • The British were fighting a different war than the Americans – what can we learn from that today in our current conflicts? • What lessons can you draw out of this war that could be directly applicable to Afghanistan?

46. Next time:The U.S. Navy in the Napoleonic Era1783-1815